Northern California native Aaron Judge said goodbye to the Oakland Coliseum with his 55th home run, Jasson Dominguez and Gleyber Torres also homered and the New York Yankees clinched no worse than a tie for the American League East title with a 7-4 victory Sunday afternoon over the Oakland Athletics.
The sweep-completing win, coupled with a second straight Baltimore Orioles loss to the Detroit Tigers, left the Yankees (92-64) with a six-game lead over the Orioles with just six games remaining.
After the A’s scored twice in the first inning, the Yankees rallied into the lead for good when Judge launched his home run to center field, a solo shot, in the third after a two-run blast by Dominguez, his second of the season, had tied the score an inning earlier.
Torres’ 15th homer led off a two-run fifth that put New York, playing for the final time at the aging Oakland site, in command at 5-2.
The A’s got within 5-4 in the sixth on a two-run double by Ryan Noda before RBI doubles by Giancarlo Stanton in the seventh and Austin Wells in the ninth created a late cushion.
Luis Gil (15-6) was pulled one out into the sixth inning, charged with four runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out five.
New York relievers Ian Hamilton, Tim Hill, Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver finished up with 3 2/3 innings of shutout relief. Weaver got the final five outs, three via strikeout, for his fourth save.
Oakland starter Joey Estes (7-9) took the loss. He lasted just four innings, during which he served up all three Yankees homers, five runs and seven hits. He walked one and struck out one.
Judge, who also doubled, joined Torres with two hits for the Yankees, who won five of seven against the A’s this season. Judge and Juan Soto scored twice apiece.
Judge has seven homers in 18 career games at the Coliseum.
Tyler Soderstrom had two hits for the A’s (67-89), including a double that gave the hosts their two-run lead in the first.
Oakland has one home series remaining, a three-game against the Texas Rangers beginning Tuesday.
–Field Level Media
